Such a ball-and-socket joint is known from EP 0 617 260 B1, in which case a permanent magnet is arranged on the ball as the field transducer. In the area of the housing directly opposite the magnet in the unejected state of the ball pivot, a magnetoresistive sensor is arranged such that this sensor interacts with the magnetic field produced by the permanent magnet. A rotation of the unejected ball pivot around its longitudinal axis can be detected by means of the magnetoresistive sensor, in which case the angle detected can be used, e.g., for light range regulation in the motor vehicle.
Such a ball-and-socket joint has the drawback that the pivoting movements of the ball pivot can be detected only with unsatisfactory accuracy. Here, pivoting is defined as a movement, in which the ball pivot changes the spatial position of its axis of symmetry or central axis in relation to the ball-and-socket joint housing.